Ignition timing device



Sept. l2, 1933.

M. MALLORY IGNITION TIMING DEVICE Filed Nov. 2, 1931 lll 20 with the above facts in mind, it is CTI Patented Sept. 12, 1933 PATENT OFFICE IGNITION TIMING DEVICE Marion" Mallory, Toledo, Ohio, assgnor to The Mallory Research Company, a corporation of Delaware Application November 2, 1931. Serial No. 572,578

9 Claims. (Cl. 123-117) When the throttle is opened, if the initial spark advance depends primarily upon a centrifugal governor, no advance will take place until there has been a considerable increase in speed, and as a consequence, the pick up will .be slow. On

the other hand, if the spark is initially set WhereA it should be for the best performance immediately after the throttle is opened, the idling operation of the engine will be unsteady or will perhaps stop altogether.

an object .of the present invention to provide, in addition to the unusual timer controlling means, a supplementary control device whichis eiective to cause an extreme retardation of the spark when the throttle is in idling position but is immediately rendered ineiective as the throttle begins to open. v

The present invention will be more particularly described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a wiring diagram of the primary ignition circuit with parts of the -control device shown in plan or in section.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of the invention; and I Figure 3 is a vertical'central section through the timer. e

As shown in the drawing, the invention is associated with an ignition timer comprising a housingv 5 formed with a bearing 6 for the timer shaft 7. A sleeve' ismounted for relative circumferential movement on the shaft '7 and is housing 5.

The relative position of the sleeve 8 and cam 9'gwith reference toV the timer shaft '7 is controlled through the medium of a plate 15 which is secured to the sleeve by screws 16 or other suitable means and advanced circumferentially by means of a centrifugal governor 17 as the speed increases. My present invention, however, is applicable to various types of timers, regardless of the .manner in which the timing is adjusted for the higher speeds.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, -when the engine 60 is operating with the throttle partly or wholly open, the primary ignition circuit is from the battery 18 through the ignition switch 19, a spark coil 20 and line 21 to the terminal 22, thence through spring 23, contact points 24 and terminal 65 25, which is grounded, back to the battery.

The ignition circuit also has a branch 26 leading to a terminal 27, thence through a spring 28 and contact points 29 to a post 30 which is insulated from its support, as indicated at 31 70 in Fig. 3. The post is also connected by a line 32 to a post 33, which is also insulated as shown at 34 in Figs. 1 and 2.

As shown in Fig. 2, the post 33 is located on or near the fuel intake passage 35 and near the 75 throttle valve 36. The valve 36 is secured to a pivot pin 37 to which a crank arm 38 is also secured, the end of the arm 38 being connected to a throttle control rod 39. The arm 38 carries a contact point 40 which engages the post 33 80 and completes'a supplementary ignition circuit through the contact points 29, only when the throttle valve 36 is in position for idling.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the terminal 33 is mounted yin the end of a 85 cylinder 41 which is in communication with the fuel intake passage 35 through a conduit 42. A piston 43 within the cylinder 41 has a stem 44 which is adapted under certain conditions to contact with the terminal 33 and complete the 90 circuit through the post 30. A spring 45, however, holds the piston in a position to prevent the completion of this circuit except when there is `a high vacuum in the intake manifold such as occurs when-the throttle valve is idling position.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that when the automobile is traveling with the throttle valve partly or fully open, the primary ignition system is through the contact points 24 and an advance in the timing is eiected through the centrifugal governorby advancing the cam 9. If however, the throttle valve is moved to idling position, as shown in Fig. 2, moving the contact 40 into` engagement with the 105 terminal 33 a circuit is completed through the Contact points 29. Similarly, as shownv in Fig. 1, the high vacuum resulting from the closing of the throttle valve overcomes the tension of spring 45 and completes the'supplementary cir- 110 cuit through the contact points 29. It will be noted that the circuit breaker 11 is not actuated to break the circuit until an appreciable time after the circuit through the contact points 24 has been broken. The supplementary circuit as established when the throttle valve is in idling position, therefore, will cause an extreme retardation of the spark, since the spark will not occur until the contact points 29 have opened. Thus the initial or normal setting of the spark may be such that ignition will take place at the proper time for the best performance when the car is traveling at low speed, and yet, when the throttle is closed and the engine idling, there will be an extreme retardation of the spark by the supplementary circuit so as to give the best*I results when idling.

It will be apparent that the invention may be incorporated in any type of timer and may be modified in various other ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an ignition timing device, an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers in parallel relation to each other and having overlapping closure periods with one breaking later than the other but before the other again closes, and means rendering the later breaking circuit breaker ineiective to maintain `a circuit after the other circuit breaker opens, except under predetermined operating conditions.

2. In an ignition timing device, an ignition circuit including a circuit breaker adapted to control the time of ignition, and a branch circuit including a second circuit breaker which is parallel to the first mentioned circuit breaker and which is closed at the time the rst mentioned circuit breaker opens and for an appreciable time thereafter, whereby to cause an extreme retardation of the spark when said branch circuit is closed, said branch circuit also including contacts which may be opened to render said branch circuit ineffective while the main circuit remains effective.

3. In an ignition timing device, an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers in parallel relation to each other and having overlapping clo-^ sure periods with one breaking later than the other but before the other again closes, and means for cutting"out the later breaking circuit breaker from the ignition circuit to render said later breaking circuit breaker ineffective to modify the time of ignition.

4. In an ignition timing device, an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers in parallel relation to each other and having overlapping closure periods, one of said circuit breakers having a grounded terminal for completing the circuit when the circuit breaker is closed, the other circuit breaker having an insulated terminal, and means shiftable to ground said insulated terminal, the last mentioned circuit breaker being effective to modify the timing of the ignition only when said means is thus shifted.

5. In an ignition timing device, a main ignition circuit including a normally operable circuit breaker, a branch to said main circuit including a second' circuit breaker normally ineffective to modify the result of the main circuit breaker, and means shiftable to render the branch circuit and second circuit breaker effective in conjunction with the main ignition circuit to cause an extreme retardation of the spark.

6. In an ignition timing device, the combination with a throttle valve, of an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers in parallel relation to each other and having overlapping closure periods with one breaking later than the other but before the other again closes, and means for rendering the later breakingl circuit breaker ineffective to maintain the circuit after the other circuit breaker opens, except when the throttle valve' is closed for idling.

7. In an ignition timing device, the combination with a throttle valve, of a main ignition circuit including a circuit breaker, and a branch ignition circuit including a circuit breaker operable, only when the throttle valve is closed for idling, to retard the spark by maintaining a circuit for an appreciable time after the main circuit breaker is opened.

8. In an ignition timing device, the combination with a throttle valve, of a main ignition circuit including a circuit breaker, a supplementary circuit branching from the main ignition circuit and including a supplementarycircuit breaker in parallel relation to the main circuit breaker, said circuit breakers being set so that their closure period overlaps with the supplementary circuit breaker opening after the main circuit breaker opens and before it again closes, whereby to retard the spark, and additional means for opening said supplementary circuit, except when the throttle valve is closed for idling, whereby to render the supplementary circuit breaker ineffective for retarding the spark. w

9. In an ignition timing device, the combination with a throttle valve, of an ignition circuit including two circuit breakers in parallel rela- .tion to each other and having overlapping closure periods with one breaking later4 than the other but before the other again closes, one of said circuit breakers having a grounded terminal for completing the circuit when the circuit breaker is closed, the other circuit breaker having an insulated terminal so that it is ineffective to modify the ignition circuit unless its insulated terminal is grounded, and means to ground said insulated terminal onlywhen the throttle valve is closed for idling.

' MARION MALLORY. 

